Sukant Kadam, the Indian para-badminton star, has climbed to the prestigious World No. 1 ranking in the SL4 category. This is the first time that he has achieved this feat.
The feat marks a significant milestone in his career and reflects his unwavering determination and consistent performances in international competitions over the years.
Multiple medals at the World Para Badminton Championships and Asian Para Games have propelled Kadam to the number one spot. Recently, he clinched the gold medal at the Spanish Para-Badminton International 2025.
Who is Sukant Kadam?
Kadam hails from Kautholi, Sangli, Maharashtra. He shifted to Pune and completed his mechanical engineering at Government College Of Engineering and Research, Avasari Khurd in 2015 with first class.
He aimed to become a cricketer like Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. However, turns out, he was destined to ace some other sport.
It was while playing cricket that he fell down and injured his left knee. It was in college that he realised that he wanted to pursue sports instead of education.
Later, he joined Nikhil Kanetkar Badminton Academy and trained under coaches Nikhil Kanetkar and Mayank Gole.
Kadam made his international debut in 2014 at the England Para Badminton International and became world number 2 in the SL4 category on 12 June 2017.
He won a bronze medal in MD SL3, SL4 at the Para Badminton Asian Championships in 2016.
Later, he won his first title at the Uganda Para-Badminton International in 2017 and a bronze medal at the Asian Para Games in 2018. He also won a bronze medal each at the BWF Para Badminton World Championships in 2019, 2022 and 2024.
Also Read: Top 6 Best Badminton Rackets In The World
Sukant Kadam’s Career Highlights
Achievements
- Achieved world No. 2 in Men’s Singles (SL4) on 12 June 2017.
- Reached world No. 1 in Men’s Doubles (SL3–SL4) with partner Pramod Bhagat on 18 July 2023.
Medals
- World Championships: Bronze medals in singles (SL4) 2019, 2022, 2024; bronze in doubles (SL3–SL4) 2024.
- World Abilitysport Games 2019 (Sharjah): Gold in singles and silver in doubles.
- Asian Para Games: Bronze in singles and doubles (2022, Hangzhou).
- Asian Para-Badminton Championships: Bronze in doubles (2016, Beijing).
- Other International Tournaments (2011–2021): Won singles titles in Uganda (2017), Spain (2018), Uganda again, Brazil, Denmark; numerous runner-up spots too.
- Medal Summary (2016–2024): Won a total of 73 medals- 16 gold, 22 silver, and 35 bronze.
Awards
- Received the prestigious Shiv Chhatrapati Award (2017–2018) from the Maharashtra state government.
